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Lebanon Celebrates Its 'Mysterious' Zambo Festival

Published March 16th, 2021 - 08:13 GMT

Lebanese celebrated the annual mystery "Zambo" carnival. During the annual carnival, people paint their bodies, dress up with bizarre costumes and hats, roam in the old streets, and collect financial donations to distribute them to the poor.

This carnival is marked every year in El Mina, near Tripoli in northern Lebanon, ahead of the Greek Orthodox lent.

People donned bright, curly wigs and dark body paint for Zambo, a festival on the eve of the start of the Orthodox Christian period of Lent. The origins of the annual celebration remain unclear and it only seems to take place in a seaside suburb of Tripoli, a Muslim-majority city with an Orthodox minority.

But that has never dampened revelers, dozens of whom hopped and danced their way through Tripoli’s streets, glittery hats on their heads and scepters in hand, a day before the beginning of the fast for Eastern-rite Christians. 

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Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint pose for a group picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon

Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint pose for a group picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP

Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint

Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint pose for a picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP

A carnival participant dressed in costume and wearing body paint

A carnival participant dressed in costume and wearing body paint poses for a picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP

A carnival participant dressed in costume and wearing body paint

A carnival participant dressed in costume and wearing body paint poses for a picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP

A carnival participant dressed in costume and wearing body paint

A carnival participant dressed in costume and wearing body paint poses for a picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP

A carnival participant dressed in costume poses for a picture

A carnival participant dressed in costume poses for a picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP

A carnival participant has body paint applied to him

A carnival participant has body paint applied to him as he gears up for the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP

Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint

Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint pose for a picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP

Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint

Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint pose for a picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP

Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint pose for a group picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon
Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint
A carnival participant dressed in costume and wearing body paint
A carnival participant dressed in costume and wearing body paint
A carnival participant dressed in costume and wearing body paint
A carnival participant dressed in costume poses for a picture
A carnival participant has body paint applied to him
Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint
Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint
Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint pose for a group picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon
Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint pose for a group picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP
Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint
Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint pose for a picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP
A carnival participant dressed in costume and wearing body paint
A carnival participant dressed in costume and wearing body paint poses for a picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP
A carnival participant dressed in costume and wearing body paint
A carnival participant dressed in costume and wearing body paint poses for a picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP
A carnival participant dressed in costume and wearing body paint
A carnival participant dressed in costume and wearing body paint poses for a picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP
A carnival participant dressed in costume poses for a picture
A carnival participant dressed in costume poses for a picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP
A carnival participant has body paint applied to him
A carnival participant has body paint applied to him as he gears up for the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP
Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint
Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint pose for a picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP
Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint
Carnival participants dressed in costume and wearing body paint pose for a picture during the annual Zambo carnival held in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on March 14, 2021, marking the last period of excess on the eve of the Christian Greek Orthodox lent. The inspiration of the annual Zambo celebration is unclear, despite it being a tradition that stretches back over a century to when an emigrant to Brazil returned to his native Tripoli bringing the carnival with him. Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP
Tags:Tripoli@lebanonZambo Festival

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